Let's Review: Alling Memorial Golf Club

The Skinny

Alling Memorial offers golfers of any skill-level a fun, quirky, and cost-effective round in an area that isn’t exactly flush with premier courses.

The Course

Alling Memorial is one step below a hidden gem. This course deserves your money if you have other reasons to spend time in New Haven. The drivable par 4s, par 3s that require hybrids and some prayers, and par 5s with water in front of the green make every shot worth thinking about.

There are some muni-related knocks; almost guaranteed to be 4:30+ round on the weekend and the course is in truly the middle of nowhere (but if you play with anyone over the age of 50, they will almost definitely ask you if you knew that there used to be a juvenile center next to the course and inmates would sneak out and come to the course all the time). With that being said, once you’re on the first tee and see water to your left and woods to your right, you’ll immediately be immersed in the round ahead.

There are enough elevated greens, creeks, and narrow fairways to keep you on your toes, but with the course coming in at 6200 yards from the “Championship” tees, length is not essential to success. With a honed in tee shot, this course exists at the perfect intersection of formidable and scorable.

The Price

All in all, the most expensive this round will get is $55 if you take a cart on the weekend - reasonable and worth it. You can definitely get away with walking, and due to the pace of play on the weekends, I would almost encourage it to delay standing around.

Signature Hole

The 9th hole is the winner amid a few candidates. It’s a 325 yard par four that requires a 200 yard clear if you don’t want to be standing on a 60 degree incline as you hit your 2nd shot. Successfully clear the crater and you’ll have a wedge in your hand with a green light. Hit your textbook 175 yard screamer and you’ll have a blind approach with your ball on an incline similar to that of a roller coaster.

Grabbing a Bite

There isn’t so much as a granola bar in the trailer that they are doubling as a pro shop currently. You are, however, a ten minute drive from three of the best pizza places in the country - Sally’s, Modern, and Frank Pepe’s . Go do your own taste test (Sally’s clears) after you put your 3 wood approach shot on the par 5 18th directly into the water.

Nice to Know

I only gave “amenities” a 2 because a 1 should be impossible.

There is no pro shop or range on the premises. They claim they are working on a multi-million dollar pro-shop renovation, but until that point, it appears they are happy working out of a RV. The carts drive as if they are from 2008. You aren’t here for the amenities; you’re here because it’s 18 holes, relatively cheap, and more fun than anything else you could be doing.

How many sleeves: 2.

There are a decent amount of trees and a wayward driver can punish you on multiple occasions. If you’re on that 2nd sleeve, put the driver away and watch what it does to your score.